'Irresistible employee' case reconsidered by Iowa Supreme Court

3:40 PM,
Jun. 27, 2013

Melissa Nelson, pictured with her daughter, will get a second chance with her claim that the dentist she worked for fired her because he was attracted to her now that the Iowa Supreme Court has agreed to reconsider her case.

Written by

Jeff Eckhoff
The Des Moines Registe

A woman fired from her job because she was an "irresistible employee" has gotten another chance at her sexual discrimination lawsuit after the Iowa Supreme Court this week took the rare step of withdrawing the unanimous opinion it issued in the case in December.

Melissa Nelson had worked for 10 years for Webster County dentist James Knight before she was fired in 2010 because of her looks. Knight eventually told Nelson's husband that "she's a big threat to our marriage" and that Knight feared he would attempt an affair if Nelson continued to work for him.